Barry Stone
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Absentee homeowner degrades neighborhoodApr 04, 2021 6:00 am - Q: The home next door belongs to an absentee owner who allows the property to sit vacant and become increasingly dilapidated. Indigents occasionally break in to sleep an...
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Seller says 'no building permit required'Mar 28, 2021 6:00 am - Q: The home I'm buying has a 250-square-foot family room that was completed several years after the home was built. The room was originally rough-framed when the home wa...
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Home inspector floods closetMar 21, 2021 6:00 am - Q: Our home underwent a detailed home inspection, as requested by the buyers. As a result, we incurred major water damage when the shower pan was tested. The inspector p...
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Lender demands inspection, upgradesMar 14, 2021 6:00 am - Q: We were ready to close escrow on the vacation home we were buying when the mortgage lender stalled the deal. They said the gas fireplace is not an adequate heat sourc...
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Homebuyers mysteriously cancel sale after inspectionMar 07, 2021 5:00 am - Q: The people who were buying our house hired a home inspector. After a five-hour inspection, we were given a list of minor defects. We agreed to repair all the items in...
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Gas company compromises customer safetyFeb 28, 2021 5:00 am - Q: In one of your articles, you recommended calling the gas company for a free safety checkup of gas-burning fixtures such as furnaces, water heaters and ranges. You sai...
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Buyers propose a do-it-yourself home inspectionFeb 21, 2021 5:00 am - Q: We are buying a new home and have decided not to hire a home inspector. When we sold our previous home, my husband accompanied the buyers' home inspector to learn wha...
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Builder plays games with warrantyFeb 14, 2021 5:00 am - Q: I purchased a new home less than one year ago and expected to be covered by the builder's warranty. But the builder refuses to repair any of the defects I've reported...
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Alleged collusion among agents and home inspectorsFeb 07, 2021 5:00 am - Q: As an expert witness in construction-defect lawsuits, I see cases involving home inspectors who fail to disclose defects or who minimize the findings in their reports...
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Sellers refuse to repair new damageJan 31, 2021 5:00 am - Q: The sellers of the home we're buying hired a septic contractor to inspect and pump the sewage system. In the course of this work, they cut two sections from the front...